#ScenicSaturday 2nd March 2024:

This continuing series depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference. Recent months have seen me featuring only photographs taken in that specific month, though not necessarily the current year. I think, with the UK entering meteorological spring on 1st March, I’ll include …

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The Owl Service, by Alan Garner: #BookReview.

I have no memory of acquiring this book, which is considered a children’s classic. I wonder if the mystery of its origin in my home was a factor in keeping me reading it since I found it hard work.Generally, I need to empathise with at least one character in a book to give it any …

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Spirits of the Ghan, by Judy Nunn: #BookReview.

I love it when a new book comes my way by a serendipitous route. This one was a present from my daughter’s mother-in-law, with us for a short while over the Xmas period. She’d finished it so handed it to me rather than take it back on that long flight to Tasmania. It’s an absorbing …

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#ScenicSaturday 3rd February 2024:

This continuing series depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo is from the Forest of Dean. Tall trees convey a sense of wonder, a feeling of permanence, peace, and tranquillity. We wonder what they might tell us if only we could …

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#ScenicSaturday 27th January 2024

My photos in this continuing series depict our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.Today’s photo is from the Forest of Dean and shows January sunlight filtering through the tall pines and firs of a plantation on a slope. We have seen buzzards, deer, …

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#ScenicSaturday 13th January 2024

My photos in this continuing set of series depict our beautiful world in the hope of encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness.Today’s photo is a seasonal shot from the Forest of Dean, mist clouding the spaces between the trees on a track that curves by a functioning …

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Epitaphs, by Anthological Poets: #BookReview.

For some reason, lost in the dark clouds of obfuscating age-related memory, although I reviewed this book on Goodreads way back in the mists of time, I seem to have failed to have placed that review here. I now correct that missed opportunity. # As just one of the seventy-two poets featured in this remarkable …

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Debt of Bones, by Terry Goodkind: #BookReview.

I’m finally managing to read some neglected books I’ve had on my shelves for years. Having had so many books either recommended by reading and writing friends, or attracting my attention by different types of promotional material over the years, it’s a pleasure to get to those hardbacks and softbacks that have patiently waited on …

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#ScenicSaturday 18th November 2023

My photos in this continuing series show our beautiful world. Maybe they’ll encourage viewers to help save it from human carelessness. As I rarely travel in November, this month’s series concentrates on the forest where I live. Those who love the seas or oceans may feel a little left out, so I’ll try to compensate …

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The Sea and Little Fishes, by Terry Pratchett: #BookReview.

I’m sure I once read a Terry Pratchett book, but judging by my records it must have been many years ago. I read this book largely because of his reputation; I could do with some laughter in this awful world we currently inhabit. Fortunately, I found the humour I needed. But it’s an intelligent humour, …

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Kaleidoscope, a Charity Flash Fiction Anthology published by Fantastic Books Publishing: #BookReview.

This anthology of flash fiction stories contains the winners of the competition set up by the publisher to raise funds for two charities, Special Effect and Stack Up. Entrants had to make a donation (amount left to the individual) to one of these charities in place of an entry fee. Each story had to be …

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#ScenicSaturday 4th November 2023

My photos in this continuing series show our beautiful world. Maybe they’ll encourage viewers to help save it from human carelessness. As I rarely travel in November, this months’ series will concentrate entirely on the forest where I live. That’s not restrictive for me, but those who love the seas or oceans may feel a …

Continue reading #ScenicSaturday 4th November 2023

The Little Sisters of Eluria, by Stephen King: #BookReview.

Generally speaking, I’ve found that if it’s by Stephen King, it’s worth reading. I’ve yet to be disappointed. This is one of the books in the Dark Tower series. I’ve read a couple of others but hadn’t come across this one. It’s prefaced by a comment that it can be read as a stand-alone, and …

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My Socks Have Gone Bonkers, by Dale Neal, Illustrated by Mark Millicent #BookReview.

This charming and funny book of rhyming verse will appeal to children of all ages as well as to the childlike part of most adults. The illustrations are clever and fun, too. It’s a book your children will delight in whether reading it themselves or being read to by their favourite aunt or uncle. The …

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Fancy Some Fantastic New Books, Free?

The imaginative and generous independent publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, is launching 9 new titles during the period 14th October to 4th November. There are books for all tastes here. But the point of this post is the competition accompanying the launches. You can win copies of all these books quite simply. You merely have to …

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